#i realised i like drawing shanks

[hoodiemanic]

I've been wanting to draw this au and now it is finally done!!

The Shanks-and-Luffy-promising-to-not-meet-until-Luffy-became-a-great-pirate-but-actually-keep-accidentally-meeting-all-the-time-and-trying-hard-to-pretend-they-don't-au PART 1!!!

I love themmm interacting-- canon why have you deprived us of this,,, they're so fun

[pandora-writes-one-piece]

And then there were three!

Sources for images: |Ace| |Kid| |Zoro| |Law| |Sanji|

Here we are with another round of voting for the next installment of The Meet-Cute! Is everyone excited?! Gosh, I know I AM! I'm going to post the plots and the poll under the cut, okay? Last time I just posted the plots under the cut and I'm not sure everyone saw it!

As per usual, here's the scenario, let's treat this like a multiverse! As if a different time-line emerges after reader has met all our main characters and we follow a different path. One where neither Ace, nor Law ever happened, and reader will find love somewhere else. A whole new story.

Poll below! Click to vote!!!

Kid: Kid is a mechanic and an army veteran. You'll take an interest in the old car he's fixing and decide to help him. If at first your relationship falls into an easy flirty banter, soon you realise that Kid is so much more than what he shows the world. The worst part is that the shadows Kid doesn't want you to see, are what draws you further into him. When he pushes you away, holding you at arm's lenght because he just doesn't 'do feelings', and he 'doesn't want to snuff your light with his darkness', you don't simply accept defeat and, instead, decide to fight. Even if it breaks your heart in the process. Heads up for: Lot's of angst, misunderstandings, lack of communication. Perks: Motorcycle riding Kid (wink, wink), rough and gruff Kid who shows affection by gestures rather than words, Killer (obviously he's going to show up)! Shanks reaction to this relationship: he's gonna hate it. He'll keep telling you that Kid is unpredictable and dangerous and he doesn't want that for his little girl. He'll actively try to stop you from becoming to attached.

Zoro: You rekindle your easy friendship with Zoro with much ease, revelling at how simple everything feels with him. Until you start to feel observed. It starts small, but the closer you get to Zoro, the more obsessed and crazed your 'stalker' gets. Who is he? What does he want? And how much of your newfound fondness for Zoro are you willing to sacrifice when the stalker threatens to hurt him? Heads up for: Gore, reader in a constant state of fear/stress, creepy stalker. Perks: Extremely protective Zoro, 'who did this to you?' trope. Shanks reaction to this relationship: for this installment we will see very little of Shanks since he'll be away from home. But he likes Zoro.

Sanji: You get a job working at Sanji’s café and quickly become very good friends. You feel yourself growing more and more attached to Sanji, all the while fighting against those feelings, because he's a Vinsmoke and you wanted to cut ties with them completely. When Ichiji comes into to town, he's very surprised to find you, especially because you're working for his brother, though he claims his grievance is not with you, but Sanji. The question is, when you find out that Sanji is not a distant relative (as he claimed to be) but the brother of your ex, how will you react? Heads up for: Vinsmoke assholes demeaning Sanji, reader feeling very conflicted with feelings for Sanji. Perks: Sanji's love language is being extremely romantic and caring. Shanks reaction to this relationship: Shanks is a man that can be won through his stomach. Sanji conquers him easily. Until Shanks finds out he's brother of the Vinsmoke scum who hurt his little girl!

[yuki2sksksk]

I haven't got much time to post things with uni stuff and all 🥹 Have some stress relief drawings of One piece OC that I can't get my mind off.

That's her enchanted mask, enabling her head to look like swirling water and concealing her face.

The Witch of the Sea, Cordelia Thalassa

This is just a burst of idea moment, and I still need to catch up on One Piece a lot.

Cordelia used to be a Celestial Dragons but she's the 'black sheep' of the family so she's treated poorly. She runs away with her witch teacher and learns magic from her.

Her main ability focus on energy manipulation but she can conjure spells and brew potions. She's not a pirate but she earns a bounty for alliance with the Whitebeard pirates, some other pirates and even associates with Roger, the King of the Pirates. She do business of potions selling.

Cordelia used to spend a lot of time with Shanks and Buggy, hence regarding them as her little brothers. She also visits the ASL brothers whenever she can, earning the title aunty from the boys. She's like that aunt who bursts in carrying gifts for her nephews. Garp thinks she's spoiling the boys.

She stayed on the same island as Portgas D.Rouge (hence why she gets to spend time with Shanks and Buggy whenever they drop by). When Roger died and Rouge was pronounced pregnant, Cordelia's mentor gives Rouge a potion that can help in postponing the labour, but it drowned her health. Cordelia tries to visit Ace as many times as she can.

Her bounty actually started when she caused ruckus among the Celestial Dragons after she discovered the cause of Sabo's 'death'. While she wanted nothing more than to kill those people, she instead drew out the energy from their souls, unintentionally turning them into empty bodies that live without means.

Cordelia realises that her power can bring destruction as much as it can gives protection.

Extra note: Cordelia has been a sickly child so when she learns energy manipulation from her mentor, she unknowingly extracts energy from seastones and drinks it like water. It helps her gain health but if she's not careful and letting out energy shockwaves, any devilfruit eaters will be affected.

[moonmaiden1996]

Bound By Fate- Chapter Six

The days at sea blurred together, painted in shades of salt and sun. You worked where you could, earning wary nods from the crew as you helped with repairs, cleaned the deck, or sorted supplies in the hold. But the camaraderie shared among the Red-Haired Pirates never quite extended to you. Not fully. You were an outsider, tethered to this ship by Shanks’s unrelenting will.

A captive.

It wasn’t a title Shanks had used outright, but it lingered unspoken in the way the crew avoided asking about your past or your plans. In the way Beckman’s sharp eyes tracked your movements, even when you thought you were alone. Most of all, it was in the way Shanks himself treated you—an uneasy mix of affection, possession, and guilt that left you constantly second-guessing where you stood.

That evening, as the ship rocked gently on the waves, you found a quiet corner near the galley to sit and think. The crew was gathered on deck, their raucous laughter and music echoing through the ship as they celebrated some long-forgotten triumph. You didn’t join them. You rarely did.

Instead, you watched from the shadows as Shanks held court in the middle of the crowd. His grin was wide, his laughter booming as he challenged one of the younger crew members to a drinking contest. He still radiated charisma, drawing everyone into his orbit like a blazing sun. But even from a distance, you could see the strain in his movements, the way he leaned a little too heavily on his sword for balance.

It was Beckman who caught your eye. The first mate stood off to the side, his expression calm but watchful as he puffed on a cigarette. He wasn’t drinking or laughing like the others. His focus was entirely on Shanks.

“Everything he does,” you muttered under your breath, “it’s all an act.”

You didn’t mean for anyone to hear you, but a passing crew member glanced your way, his brow furrowing slightly. You offered a tight smile and looked away, suddenly self-conscious.

xxx

Later that night, as the celebration wound down and the crew trickled below deck, you decided to stretch your legs. The air was cool, the stars brilliant against the inky sky. You wandered toward the stern, drawn by the faint murmur of voices.

“…can’t keep this up, Captain,” Beckman’s voice drifted to you, low and serious.

You froze, your pulse quickening as you realised they were nearby. Creeping closer, you pressed yourself against the wall of the ship, hidden in the shadows.

“I’m fine, Beck,” Shanks replied, his tone slurred but defiant. The sound of a bottle clinking against wood followed his words. “Just a little under the weather.”

“A little under the weather?” Beckman repeated, his voice tinged with disbelief. “You’ve been sweating through your shirt for three days, barely eating, and pushing yourself harder than ever. This isn’t just the pollen anymore, Shanks.”

There was a long pause before Shanks spoke again, quieter this time. “It doesn’t matter. Not with her here.”

Your heart skipped a beat. You instinctively pressed closer, straining to hear more.

Beckman exhaled slowly, the sound of his cigarette crackling faintly in the silence. “You’re making this harder on yourself, you know. She’s not the problem.”

“She’s everything,” Shanks said sharply, his voice breaking slightly. “Do you think I don’t see the way she looks at me? Like I’m some kind of monster?”

“Then let her go,” Beckman said evenly. “She’s not a prisoner. Not really.”

Another heavy silence followed. You barely dared to breathe.

“You don’t understand,” Shanks finally said, his voice filled with something raw and unguarded. “It’s not that simple. She’s—she’s more than that, Beck. I can’t just let her go. You know I can’t…”

He didn’t finish the sentence, but the weight of his words hung heavily in the air.

“And the old order?” Beckman asked carefully, his voice quieter now.

Shanks groaned, the sound low and guttural. “I don’t even know what the hell I’m doing anymore, Beck. But I can’t—” His voice cracked, and he cleared his throat roughly. “I can’t lose her… the old order remains, it never changes… I expect you and the men to follow it.”

You pressed a hand to your chest, your heartbeat thundering in your ears. Whatever unspoken command this “old order” entailed, it clearly loomed over both men like a spectre. And it terrified you.

“As you order, Captain… we’re two days from Westrow…”

You stayed perfectly still until the last of their footsteps faded into silence. Only then did you dare to move, stepping away from the shadows with shaky breaths. The chill in the night air seemed sharper now, biting through your skin as if to echo the dread curling in your stomach.

“She’s everything.”

Shanks’s words clung to you like salt on the breeze, impossible to wash away. The weight of his raw, unguarded voice—tinged with fear, anger, and something you couldn’t name—wrapped around you tightly. The old order, the way he couldn’t let you go, the way his men seemed bound to his will even as they doubted it… all of it painted a picture you didn’t want to see.

The ship shifted beneath your feet, rocking gently with the rhythm of the sea, but your mind was far from calm. Westrow, whatever it was, loomed two days away. Shanks’s words swirled in your mind, but it was Beckman’s even tone that lingered most: “She’s not a prisoner. Not really.”

But wasn’t that exactly what you were? Bound to this ship, to this crew, to a man who couldn’t—or wouldn’t—let you go. His guilt and affection tangled with something far darker, far heavier. And you were at the heart of it, spinning helplessly towards his storm.

The realisation hit you like a rogue wave: whatever awaited in Westrow, there would be no turning back. The threads tying you to Shanks were too tight, too tangled. They couldn’t be undone without ripping something apart.

The wind tugged at your hair, carrying with it the faint echoes of laughter from below deck. You closed your eyes, drawing in a breath that burned your chest.

The storm wasn’t coming—it was already here. And you were caught in its grip. For now, all you could do was hold on and hope the ship—and your fragile place on it—would survive.

@commanderfreethatdust @hauntedluna

Like. Comment. Request.

[gaybatmanenthusiast]

REALISATIONS IN SILENCE (oneshot)

(GALLY X M! READER)

⋆★ word count : 611

⋆★ warnings : n/a!

⋆★ summary : Gally and M/N have an argument, leading to a separation that makes Gally realise his true feelings for M/N.

⋆★ extra : this is old, i’m gonna do my requests soon!!

The Glade was unusually quiet as Gally paced near the map room, frustration etched across his face. He couldn’t believe the argument he just had with M/N. Their voices had echoed through the Homestead, drawing concerned glances from the other Gladers.

“Why can’t you just listen for once, M/N?!” Gally had shouted, his face flushed with anger. “You’re reckless out there! One day you’re going to get yourself killed!”

M/N had stood his ground, his own anger flaring. “I know what I’m doing, Gally! I’m a runner for a reason. Just because you don’t agree with my methods doesn’t mean I’m wrong!”

The argument had escalated quickly, both of them too stubborn to back down. Finally, in a huff, M/N had stormed off, leaving Gally standing there, seething.

Now, as the sun dipped below the horizon, Gally’s anger began to cool, replaced by an uncomfortable emptiness. He was used to M/N’s presence, his confidence and determination. Their friendship—or whatever it was—had always been intense, but this felt different. The distance, the silence, it gnawed at Gally in a way he hadn’t expected.

He found himself wandering towards the spot where M/N often went to think, a secluded corner of the Glade near the tall trees. Gally hesitated, unsure if M/N would even want to see him. But something in him, something desperate and unspoken, pushed him forward.

To his relief, M/N was there, sitting on the ground leaning on a fallen log, staring into the distance. The sun casting a warm glow around him, highlighting the tension still visible in his posture.

“M/N,” Gally called softly, approaching cautiously. Leaning on a tree just behind the other boy.

M/N turned, his expression guarded. “What do you want, Gally?”

Gally sighed, running a hand across his buzzed hair. “I wanted to apologise. I didn’t mean to yell at you like that.”

M/N’s gaze softened slightly, but his body still tense, still he remained silent, waiting for Gally to continue.

Gally took a deep breath, the words he’d been avoiding finally rising to the surface. “I’m just... I’m worried about you. Every time you go into that Maze, I’m scared you won’t come back. And when I saw you today, all I could think about was how much it would hurt if something happened to you.”

M/N’s eyes softened again, the tension in his shoulders easing. “Gally, I didn’t know...”

Gally nodded, stepping closer. “I know I’m not good at this—talking about feelings and stuff. But you mean a lot to me, M/N. More than I realised until now.”

M/N stood, his eyes searching Gally’s. “Why didn’t you just say that?”

“Because I’m an idiot,” Gally admitted with a small smile. “And because I was scared. But being without you, even for a little while, made me see how much I care about you.”

A silence fell between them, but it was different now, filled with understanding and unspoken feelings.

M/N stepped closer, closing the distance between them. “I care about you too, Gally. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you worry like that.”

Gally reached out, hesitating for a moment before pulling M/N into a tight embrace. “It’s not your fault don’t apologise, just promise me you’ll be careful. I don’t think I can handle losing you.”

M/N hugged him back, the warmth of their embrace soothing the lingering tension. “I promise. I’ll come back every time. For you.”

Gally pulled back slightly, just enough to look into M/N’s eyes. “Good. Because I need you here with me shank.”

M/N smiled, a genuine, heartfelt smile that made Gally’s heart ache in the best way. “I’m not going anywhere, Gally. Not without you.”

[melkyt]

The theory that Luffy is the key to the one piece has me stressing (/s)

I was drawing his scar and its just very X marks the spot of his heart. There is some commentary here that he got the scar after losing Ace. How he had his heart torn out at losing his brother and how Law was there to help him heal.

Jimbei is there ofc and is the one who helps Luffy remember his crew in the end, but the fact that Law is *there* I think has a huge part to play of why they slowly learn to get along on the same wavelength later.

I saw a few theories when googling Shanks that the man thinks is the key to the one piece

Law who was not quite going after the one piece itself, but like Robin, he is traveling for knowledge of the world, so I wonder if he realises or starts believing that Luffy is the key.

For added angst an AU where the key is literary Luffy, his blood, his death bringing on a new world like Rogers did. History repeats itself but Law who put all his hope in Luffy and gotten attached is not going to let Luffy die which is where the immorality surgery comes into play.

Now I dont subscribe to the Evil Shanks Theory, but in an au? Mmm, make him worse, so much worse (or go the evil twin route). Shanks standing over Luffy's unconcious body,

Law trying to reach him.

Sacrificed at an altar in front of a door that leads to the one piece, the bloodline of D being the seal, but only if they have a mythical Zoan.

Law trying to give his life, not wanting to lose a person he cares about, going straight to self-sacrifice.

Just this whole trope would go so hard for the feels xd

[chromatic-lamina]

bits and bobs, One Piece, Chapter 1126 spoilers

Just small things I haven't seen mentioned yet. Oda's mostly making Shanks look scary, but he looks very good here:

And Zoro and Robin here:

AND I don't think that Oda actually knows how to draw kids in the 10-13 year old age range (looking at Law!) I mean, I know there are height differences and all, but the following

gesture (Bonney holding onto Jinbe's clothes in the way a younger child would hold onto a caretaker's clothes, both to steady themselves, and to make sure they don't get away) seems to be of a toddler to about six year old. It's still very sweet.

BUT, anyway, cruel, cruel, cruel. It makes me realise she's no longer with

her father, who seems to have some semblance of life? SO, is Bartholomew Kuma also missing, and if so, did he make the Sunny disappear (and himself in the process, and half the crew)? The ship is evident in the frame above, moored to the Giants' ship.

That was the second frame of Bonney with her father too. Of course, it doesn't seem he's much company, so she'd need to leave him on occasion, but it didn't seem that that occasion was at this point.

Then again, absinthe is a strong drink, and can

make drinkers hallucinate, as stated by the giant above. SO maybe everything (the Sunny being lost, etc.) is a hallucination (it would be a trip if Oda played an "It was all a dream card"). Because the sootiness of this first frame where someone (Luffy? Chopper?) is calling Nami, certainly is "waking from a dream"-like.

Is it only the "mature" quadruple, and (Bonney, and Lilith) left on the Giants' ship?

SO, whose hallucination is whose? It's not really about handling liquor, because both Nami and Zoro can, but maybe the others weren't drinking, or drinking as much. But they must have had some, otherwise they'd remember, so something else is at play.

Anyway, the sootiness of the first frame of the page above reminds me a lot of

the yami-yami no mi (taken from Lilith and Edison wondering where Law was in the anime: special segment at the end). The colouring from the manga and the anime will be different, but Oda does that sooty dotting for Teach's fruit.

Maybe the counter to the yami-yami no mi is dreams that can obliterate it / are stronger than it? That's not a theory, just noodling.

Also, Nami's outfit is kinda Nordic, viking, rustic, giant. Her hair plaits, too. I dunno. Maybe taken by the giants' arch-enemy? Or maybe they need to enter Elbaf separately under some kind of secret system, especially since the thwarted Kid Pirates attack?

Dunno. Anyway. Just thought I'd point out a few things that struck me. It's a great chapter. Go read it!

[buggyposting]

Who would be

A merman pirate bold,

Sitting alone,

Singing alone

Under the sea,

With a crown hat of gold,

On a throne?

Pairing - Shanks x Buggy

Length - 480 words

Rating - General/Teen

Tags - Pining, Angst, Crush

~*~

Buggy went in search of Shanks, and found the red haired pirate on the upper deck of the ship, facing out to sea.

Buggy paused.

A rare moment presented itself here, with Shanks preoccupied and unaware he was being observed.

So Buggy took that moment to watch his companion, and really look at him. His dark cloak and white shirt ruffled lightly in the sea breeze. His red hair was held down by his straw hat, a hat that glowed subtle gold in the early evening sunset.

Buggy wondered what Shanks was looking at that would draw his attention this way.

Whatever it was, he felt jealous of it.

Deep down inside him was a feeling he'd never dare say aloud, a desire for Shanks to gaze at him in this manner.

The moment was broken when Shanks began ever so subtly to turn his head, like he knew someone was there.

Buggy hastily marched forward. "And what are you looking at?" he demanded. When he got to the spot beside Shanks, he looked around at the blue sea surrounding them. Nothing but water.

"Well, what are you looking at?" Buggy asked again, looking at Shanks and finding him looking back at Buggy with a smile.

"Right now?" Shanks grinned. "I'm looking at you."

Buggy huffed. "Before that."

"Before…" Shanks turned his gaze back to the sea. "I wasn't really looking at anything. Just thinking."

"Thinking?" Buggy scoffed. "About what? How to find The One Piece?"

Shanks glanced at Buggy and smiled that secretive smile of his. That glorious yet infuriating secret smile.

Buggy realised Shanks wouldn't tell him, so he blew a raspberry at him. "Fine, have it your way," Buggy said, and spun on his heel to leave.

Shanks caught his hand before he could walk away.

"Stay and watch the sunset with me," Shanks asked.

Buggy didn't say no. He pretended to find it silly but he loved to be alone with Shanks.

They sat down on the deck side by side, dangling their legs through the wooden railing, and they watched the sun set across the sky and the glistening sea.

Buggy blew out a small raspberry at the sun. "What's so great about sunsets?" he asked.

Shanks laughed, a quiet and gentle chuckle. "Have you ever thought about it?" he asked. "There's only one sun for this whole world. That means no matter where anyone is, we'll always be watching the same sun, the same sunset. Sure, it may be at different times over different seas, but it's the same sun."

Shanks turned his smile to Buggy, a smile that could light up any dark room. "Don't you think that's wonderful?"

Buggy nodded. "Sure," he said, gazing back at Shanks. "It's wonderful."

~*~

[Many years later]

[Shanks Pirates noticing their captain sighing and staring longingly at the sunset again. Who is he sighing over they wonder.]

[Buggy version]

~*~

[Thank you for reading and here is the poem in full]

The Merman

by Alfred Lord Tennyson

I.

Who would be

A merman bold,

Sitting alone,

Singing alone

Under the sea,

With a crown of gold,

On a throne?

II.

I would be a merman bold,

I would sit and sing the whole of the day;

I would fill the sea-halls with a voice of power;

But at night I would roam abroad and play

With the mermaids in and out of the rocks,

Dressing their hair with the white sea-flower;

And holding them back by their flowing locks

I would kiss them often under the sea,

And kiss them again till they kiss'd me

Laughingly, laughingly;

And then we would wander away, away

To the pale-green sea-groves straight and high,

Chasing each other merrily.

III.

There would be neither moon nor star;

But the wave would make music above us afar --

Low thunder and light in the magic night --

Neither moon nor star.

We would call aloud in the dreamy dells,

Call to each other and whoop and cry

All night, merrily, merrily;

They would pelt me with starry spangles and shells,

Laughing and clapping their hands between,

All night, merrily, merrily:

But I would throw to them back in mine

Turkis and agate and almondine:

Then leaping out upon them unseen

I would kiss them often under the sea,

And kiss them again till they kiss'd me

Laughingly, laughingly.

Oh! what a happy life were mine

Under the hollow-hung ocean green!

Soft are the moss-beds under the sea;

We would live merrily, merrily.

~*~

[aimbutmiss]

Yk, I was thinking. Buggy knew Whitebeard fairly well right? The Roger Pirates and the Whitebeard pirates crossed paths many, many times on their respective voyages. Enough that Newgate had his and Shanks's faces memorized and Buggy to know damn well that picking a fight with Ace would bring down Whitebeard's wrath. But those two crews partied as much as they fought together.

So what's Buggy going to say when Gabriel asks him about what Whitebeard was really like? Bc Crocodile sure doesn't have anything nice to say, and he rarely has anything to say at all about his past.

Well, to answer that question I have to talk about Buggy's thoughts on Whitebeard first, and I have a lot to say.

Firstly, Buggy most certainly respected the man. Whitebeard was able to clash with Roger on equal grounds, and their fights ended in draws. He was perhaps the only man who could be considered Roger's equal. That alone is enough to make anyone respect Whitebeard, but Buggy actually saw the fights. He knew Roger personally, therefore he has the best idea of how much respect Whitebeard actually deserves.

The man was a beast, and Buggy knows this from first hand experience.

But unlike Crocodile, that personal experience he had never hurt him. Buggy has no personal grudge against the man, if anything he kind of liked him (despite how terrifying he was). Whitebeard was good with kids in his own way back in the day. Not in the gentle, caring way but more like a fun, a bit crazy uncle. He always entertained Shanks and Buggy in the parties after their fights, and was one of the few adults who never questioned Roger's decision to have kids in the crew.

Well, either way, Buggy hadn't thought about the man in years and didn't really care— until Marineford. I genuinely believe Buggy's fear at seeing Whitebeard was because he thought the man wouldn't recognise him. Because if he did realise who he was, he wouldn't hurt him. Buggy was certain of that.

And he was right. Whitebeard recognised him, and didn't try to fight. If anything, he helped Buggy. And I believe 100% that it was intentional. Whitebeard's a clever man, and he knew how Buggy was as a child. One look at Buggy's scared face and the hoard of men behind him screaming for a fight was enough for him to assess the situation.

So, Buggy was throwing around empty promises about killing him to impress this group of escapees and it escalated. Right.

So, of course, after realising this, Whitebeard offered a truce— a team up. Because he knew Buggy didn't actually want to fight him. Not that he could anyway... But even if he did somehow have the power to do so, the kid wouldn't want to hurt him. He had no reason to do so. If anything, as one of the few people who remembered Roger as a man and not the King of Pirates, Buggy kind of valued Whitebeard's existence. It made him feel less alone, less like Roger's legacy could die out. That's why despite his lack of interest in the man, or the war, he was sad when he died. Another great man from the good old days, gone forever. Another part of the childhood he valued so much, wiped off the face of the earth in a second.

So, what would Buggy tell Gabe when he asks him about Whitebeard? Just the truth.

"He was a pirate."

Like his daddies, he was a pirate. And above all, he was a man. He could be kind, he could be terrifying. He did good things, but he also did bad things. He made mistakes. He pillaged and fought and killed, because that's what a pirate does. But he had a family he loved and protected to the end of the world.

Like Crocodile. Like Mihawk.

Gabriel loves his dads, but Buggy doesn't shy away from telling him that those two don't act the same way to everyone. They've done every bad thing under the sky that a pirate can do, some of which they have regrets over. They've ruined people's lives in their own way, they've fought and they've killed. Because they're pirates. Because they're men.

Just like Whitebeard.

Humanising Whitebeard doesn't wipe the trauma away of course, but it helps. It's the first step in a journey of healing for a little kid who didn't ask for any of this.

And if anyone can forgive a man they've never met, who happens to be already dead, it's a strong kid like Gabriel.

[beanghostprincess]

I like when fanartists draw Nami's scar under her tatoo, but it got me thinking about other characters's scars too with fanarts and now I think not many people realise just how many fucking scars Luffy should have in canon, like:

1) You have his trademark scar under his eye because Shanks is irrensponsable (not entirely on him but you know what I mean)

2) The slice marks on the side of his head and chest from Kuro he got at Syrup Village.

3) His back must be covered in holes from Don Krieg's spear thingys.

4) At least a few bite marks all over his body from Arlong.

5) Probably a few scars by Zoro from Whiskey Peak as well.

6) Obliterated hands and feet as well as frostbites from climbing 5000 meteres in the cold at Drumm Island. (Side note, I love this scene because it shows just how much Luffy loves his crewmates)

7) Crocodile literally piercing through his body gave him scars both front and back.

8) A few scars from getting thrown at a glass window and bleeding out at Jaya by Bellamy.

9) I know it's technically impossible but Enel's lighting may or may have not scarred him. (Scars from lighting look pretty insane, look it up)

10) Bite marks from Lucci of course, can't escape those.

11) I could see him having scars similar to strech marks because of the 1000 shadows in his weakened body as well as well other instances in the battle against Oars and Moria.

12) Magellan's poison defenetely damaged his skin as well.

13) Then frostbite again. (Thanks again to Bon Clay for saving him, I luv you Bon Clay)

14)And Ivankov pokeing him to give him healing hormones.

15) The mark from Akainu's boiling donut frosting. (I will punish myself for this joke, don't worry)

16) Probably hurt himself during the 2 year training with Rayleigh.

17) More fishmen bitemarks, this time from Hody Jones.

18) Cuts from Doflamingo's strings and other instances.

19) Cracker and Oven attacking him.

20) Marks on his arms from when he tried to cut off his own hands to save Sanji.

21) Scars from Katakuri's mochi and his other attacks or something.

22) Queen's virus/poison looked like it was burning his skin and was probably acidic.

23) I haven't finished Wano yet, but Kaidou must have given his share of scars to him as well.

The poor guy's body is just a war battlefield. His skin is barely attached to him at this point.

I ADORE when artists draw Luffy with a lot of the scars. It makes his character design way better and gorgeous in my opinion. And tbh, all Strawhats should have way more scars. If I started explaining every little scar they would have here I wouldn't be able to finish but.... I trust fanartists to draw the characters with soooo many of them 🙏🏻

[fanaticsnail]

I'm gonna throw up (affectionate)

Governess Lady Dracule getting misty eyed realising she's now lady Dracule

Mihawk only being distracted for a second - not able to be distracted from her for longer - and instinctively blindly reaching his hand out for his wife - even when not looking at her he reaches for her, especailly when overwhelmed by things he dislikes like socializing with his guests, seeking her out for comfort. Noticing her absence immediately - unable to comprehend her not by his side, feeling her absence as unnaturally as a phantom limb - and drawing his sword on everyone, even his closest friend

“Y-You’ve,” Mihawk stumbled over his words, darting his frantic eyes between Shanks’, “You’ve kidnapped my bride?” <-- OOOH the desparation, the panic - I feel like that one scene in The Grinch "The Horror!" "The fury!" "The muscles."

Perona: Mihawk sings

Zoro: Mihawk sings?

Me, out loud: Mihawk sings?

Beckmann is so done with his dumbass captain I just know he's been chewing through 6 cigarettes a day throughout this whole ordeal

(Just wait hun, Shanks has his own coming for him)

"I'm almost jealous that I won't be the one wearing it." <--- the way I was gripped with the spirit of a salacious old man from 1950's New York. "Yew could wear it for me anytime, doll. Put on a show for daddy."

"You're not technically married" <--- Buggy. Darling, sweetie, baby. You've already made an enemy of Mihawk do not push your luck with Lady D

Lady D saying that she loves Mihawk out loud!!! Only realizing it a second later bc it was so instinctual!!!! Her being genuinely thankful to Buggy for helping make this day happen because she's thankful that the day did happen!!!

Perona and Zoro, ready to watch Mihawk woo their Governess:

Before he fell within your proximity, he halted and inhaled a shaken breath as he humbly knelt with both knees on the floor, his hands laced and placed within his lap. Your breath hitched, eyes darted between his honey-coloured eyes which then immediately snapped shut. 

Mihawk’s eyes opened, his breath hitching as he witnessed the longing gaze you were offering to him. Your eyes swelled with emotions, lips parting and drawing up in a melancholy smile. Mihawk offered you a small, bashful smile as he continued to sing to you. 

He rose his knee from his kneeling into a lunge, bowing his head down and removing his hat from his head. A final promise uttered lyrically from within his skilled melody, you holding onto each word. 

^No words, just needed us to draw attention to this and have a moment to appreciate it. Also the song?????? Beautiful. The lyrics perfectly reflecting both them and their future together

Hhhhhhhh the kiiiiiisssss. Her grabbing his face? Being the one to initiate after he poured his heart out to woo her and waited with baited breath to see if she would accept?? Reassuring him that she does love him and rewarding him for humbling himself??? Comforting him after his act of vulnerability????

Ugh, just all the small acts afterwards as well that show their care for each other beyond grand gestures. Mihawk kissing her forehead and not being able to bear pulling away so he keeps resting close to her. Only breaking away when she brings up the food but still wanting to be close he smooths out her hair, an act of tender care. Them being able to joke with each other. Him getting concerned and angry when hearing she hasn't eaten.

Zoro realizing that becoming the greatest swordsman by killing Mihawk means breaking up their beautiful union and especially upsetting his sweet Governess!!! Trying to think of other ways! A huge step considering how stubborn and determined he is that really shows how much he cares and particularly how much he's grown under the Governess' guidance.

Also I love the dress having both their birth constellations on

Mihawk not wanting to break from Governess' side after being without her, not even wanting to interact with his guests! Except he gives small smiles to each of her former students!!!! Because he values her work!!!!! And he knows she cares so he cares too!!!!!

He was yours to do with what you will, clay awaiting molding into the husband you desired him to be. <---- hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Okay seriously all the kiss descriptions in this are insane, were you plagued by voices or something you madwoman?

He didn't even read her resume he just knew he wanted heRRRAAAAAAAAAGGGHHH

"For as long as we both shall live, and for whatever comes next."

Her telling Zoro she won't stop him and doesn't want to extinguish his dream!! Him shocked and practically begging her to get mad at him or try and convince him otherwise even if he won't be convinced bc he can't grapple with the thought of taking their happiness from them!!

“And between us, I would rather it be you. You are someone we both trust," - "You trust me? You trust me to give him an honorable death?” <-- baby. A child. I am putting him in my pocket.

God, everything about Governess comforting Zoro and Zoro being so shocked and emotional that she doesn't hate him and in fact trusts and loves him, and them hugging.

Lmao, Governess getting tossed around the dancefloor by all the dressmakers.

Again, Governess genuinely thankful for this happening, even knowing Crocodile isn't as well-intentioned as Buggy or Shanks.

“An expert tamer of unruly individuals, I shall keep you in mind for when such a purpose arises.” <--- HMMMM, I WONDER WHEN HE COULD POSSIBLY MEET SUCH AN UNRULY INDIVIDUAL. GUESS WE'LL NEVER KNOW.

I do truly love Governess' relationship with the red-haired pirates. Getting to see her being less prim and proper and seeing the stern hand that she has to have in her life of work, knowing why she's the best at what she does. Her getting to have people that are dear to her at the union of her and her man to usher them into the future. Plus the nicknames are so fun

The cliffhanger is so cruel! Not just to us but to our dear Governess who, with Beckmann, will probably spend 20 minutes off-screen swearing and struggling to find the straps.

Mihawk: My Beloved, you are late, if you are perhaps nervous in the light of this tradition-

Governess: Mihawk, my heart, I just spent 15 minutes putting the lingerie on backwards and upsidedown.

Governess: And then another 5 minutes admiring the lift it gave my ass cheeks.

Snail. I love your chapter reviews. They are amazing and I appreciate each word you articulate in your analysis.

Lord and Lady Dracule are in love, both of them truly realising this in its entirety in this chapter. Her speaking it aloud, whereas he reaches for her to hold - a big favourite dynamic.

You joining in with Zoro and Perona's shock is way too funny. I hinted at him singing way back when he was Farm-Boy in the door, humming his little tune. Had to make him sing properly. Since then, I needed to hear his song.

Benn Beckman needs a break. A long one. Preferably with a vast assortment of individuals with the ability to provide him rest. Hopefully Shanks' bride will aid him in finding such solitude and respite when she takes over his care. Cheeky captain.

Buggy is doing his best. He is a softie, and needs a partner to appreciate that softer side of him. All that care in costume designing for his crew really shone through in this chapter - the deep thought he put into the elements to encapsulate the burning ball of flame a star is, alongside incorporating the consultations of their birth was a favourite. Sea-faring folk know the stars, and buggy learnt from the best.

Considering their first kiss was Mihawk grabbing her, she needed to show him how much she truly desired him too. He's hers, body and soul until Zoro claims both from him with his blade. Zoro loves his governess. Perhaps he will find an alternative to killing Mihawk to claim his title for all their sakes. Zoro definately needed that cuddle after such unbridled affirmations. He would adore living in your pocket.

Me and kisses.

Truthfully, I am a madwoman. I adore writing kisses. I need to know the touch, the emotions and feelings, the tension, the taste, the smell, the music swelling - I need to know everything. Which is going to come in handy for the next chapter when it's more than just a kiss 😏.

Crocodile's Sapsorrow is coming. So close, I can taste it. He will definitely need the Governess in a few key areas.

The Governess and Red-Hairs were so much fun to write for. The Vile Exterminator and their Vermin, kept in line by the broody bloodhound Benn Beckman when she isn't there to aid in his blight.

More of Beckman's Blight being in the arrangement of the Sun-Dress at the careful directions notated by the inebriated Captain. Coarse fingertips, hums of soothing affirmation, apologetic whispers, soft gasps, sea-travelling curses - Mihawk is going to either kill Benn Beckman or kiss him when he gets a glimpse of his bride.

Considering our governess is also blindfolded: how is she going to know where the marriage bed is? Will she be blindfolded for the whole intimate encounter, or simply Beckman's? Will she actually get to see the dress, or simply experiencing it being expertly tied and untied with brushing fingers, grasping hands, soothing touches, and lustful ravishing. Surely she should be allowed to see her groom, not just feel his wandering fingertips and warmth radiating from his body.

The butt-lift comment has me laughing. Yes to that. It is going to be a wild ride. Of course I needed to end it on a cliffhanger! It was over 10,700+ words and I wanted to have a chapter alone on the intimacies of romancing the flesh. More to come soon!!

As always, I love and appreciate you Snail. It's a highlight getting asks from you 🖤🖤.

[meli-writes]

Truth to be Dared - Ch. 01

/// CW: mild gore, attempted sexual assault. ///

The Princess pulls at the hoof-and-boot-marked mud — despoiling the kingswood’s coat of sodden, gold-simmered leaves with hastened discare. Daubing the clodded mess on unwon spurs, she hushes the noble prattle that had nipped at her heels and presses into the trees.

“You wish to fuck the princess, in sooth?” an undistant voice asks; its poshness diluted with a prickishly-known southern lilt — Relbert, it must be, a third cousin she is not liable to miss.

“She’s gonna be beautiful, ain’t she?” replies his footman. The Princess steps over a blood-spattered root and sees him. “Her Grace must be beggin’ for it, all these years without a proper man,” he mutters, crossbow in hand; unbacked breastplate.

“True! And you can have her, Simon is it? Though I assure you, having bedded a dragon’s hoard of whores—” You and what manhood, cousin. “—that a cunt’s a cunt. No sense in spending extra on candlelight, I say,” he muses. Ahh— you and your purse, of course.

She peers; one arm at sword-hilt, another reassuring her besagews; imagines the foul and terrible beast he’s caught; a snouted flesh-mass he’d have his footman claim and deliver to her throne-sat feet; that should’ve been hers; her faun trapped in her forest, and—

It’s a girl.

The fallen leaves festoon its peat-sooted horns; fashion a crimson-tipped and gilded crown, nestled in mud-matted braids. Its shoulders — mantled in brown fur — fold around its white-speckled bosom, hands clutched close to its heartbeat. The Princess loses herself; devours it through the sallet-slit, afore a bitter whimper parts its pain-quivered lips.

It— is— a girl.

There’s a hexatious intent in its stare, spilling from moonlit pools of henbane-salted brine, that flits to-and-fro its captor and his unwatchful footman. It almost lands on the Princess, afore it melts on its face like afternoon dessert as its fattened haunch tenses around a bolt, life’s blood oozing as spilled cream, down to the hoof — bitten in a saw-bladed mantrap.

It's—

The Princess dares one last step; she finds her cousin, his gauntlet pulled off as he— drops his hose. Grasping at his cock — a piffling piece out of step with the codpiece he thrusts upon the Princess’ court — she baulks, clenching at her own sword in revulsion till she realises the noisome articulation of her plate armour.

His footman pricks at it, turning as she draws till— “Alas, there’s a tourney prize to be won here, useful to those with an— unruly mare,” her cousin blessedly, for once, interrupts — his man leal in his attentions again. She breathes; places her offhand on the pommel and stills.

“Mine-own has borne me seven daughters in six years — if one can believe,” he continues, the footman having nodded in purported interest. “And that hell-sent Bishop has already professed to me that the eighth, Solstice-come, will be the same! Useless, except well—”

Her cousin takes it at the horns; the Faun squealing, a terror-sodden bray neither of-girl nor of-goat alone, as it scrabbles on root and blood-wet soil. She waits for the moment — the footman she can fell forthwith, and if his death-thrown hand doesn’t squeeze on it, the crossbow can be turned then on her cousin. For now, he shakes the Faun like it were a doll, hushing as its bone-eaten and muscle-frayed shank twists on trap-teeth, and laughs.

“—all I need do — as the Bishop tells it, to bed the wench and have her befruit me a proper son-and-heir — is have the faun suck on my cock,” he says, as though it cannot listen. And the Princess isn’t sure it can, until: a tartened twinkle in its wine-dark gaze, and it settles.

It lolls its tongue and bleats, soft and meek. Gods— It really knows.

“Now— there’s a bitch what knows what it’s made for,” her cousin boasts, his engorged member welcomed into its hot-breathed maw. It looks in the Princess’ eye; its lips curl, exposing its own mottled hedgerow. “I might almost call it a shame, to cut off its—”

---

(Masterpost) / (Next)

originally written on cohost 05/05/2024, in response to Making-up-Monsters' prompt:

Monster who's sorry for biting off your head

Following even-numbered chapters, from the Faun's POV, make use of a text effect that is incompatible with screenreaders. I apologise, this story was first written with access to full HTML and this was the best I could do to recreate it. In future there will be a version on a personal site that's accessible and displays the original intended effect.

[justwearthegoddamncardigan]

Hi!! I absolutely love your maze runner stuff!! I was was wondering about how the glazers would react to a trans guy coming up from the box? Maybe he’s a bit on the quieter side (until you get to know him and then he’s just as mischievous as the rest of them) and enjoys art? Anyways sorry if this was vague or anything I didn’t see and requesting rules on your page! But yeah, love your work and I hope you have a great day!!

Hi! Thanks so much for requesting this one I had so much fun writing all my wholesome maze boys ❤❤❤ Hope you enjoyed :)

Yellow painted skies

Platonic gladers x trans masc!reader

Notes: I DIDN'T REALISE UNTIL I WROTE MOST OF A FIC THAT THIS WAS PROBABLY MEANT TO BE HEADCANON-FORMATTED. I rewrote it but I couldn't help but keep in the Minho scene so that's why that's there

Warnings: language (glader slang + normal swearing)

Newt

Your first friend, of course

Newt's the best guy and is so, so caring on your first day, and you quickly find comfort in him

He immediately supports you when you're struggling with some things on your first night

When you're grabbing clothes for a shower, he offers you a bunch of different shirts, including a really big, loose one if you want it, to make sure you're as comfortable as possible

If you've got a period, Newt's your go to guy. At first, you're anxious to ask about anything, but Newt's pretty intuitive and understands what you're looking for

He prepares strips of linen and clean fabrics since they don't have access to proper sanitary products

Plus, he's got all his subtle ways of making you more comfortable without bringing unwanted attention - he might pass you a hot water bottle before bed, or give you less demanding work while you're in the worst of it

---

Newt is kind to every new person that joins, and everybody loves him, but eventually most Greenies will find their own close friend circles within their jobs.

You're one of the first newbies in a while to actually stick with Newt

You're one of the few people that doesn't get on Newt's nerves every so often, and he's always relieved to see you after a long day

He'll sit down and cross his ankles over your legs when he's had a hard time, and you'll just talk and unwind

When neither of you can sleep, you'll find each other and just have profound, deep late night talks, which started right from your first day

---

Newt loves your art and finds it relaxing to just watch you draw, or paint

The two of you (and sometimes Minho and Frypan) can sit for hours in peaceful silence, just you sitting up with a sketchbook and the other guys sprawled out on the grass

He's picked up some art tips from you too, but he doesn't really paint to make art of any ground-breaking quality; he usually just splashes colours across a page for fun and to calm his mind, which- is so valid, of course

Minho

Minho didn't like you immediately, and he'd be honest about that too - you were a little too quiet for him

But one moment changed that for him (cue cutscene)

"This is the Map," says Minho, gesturing at the covered table. He's been giving you the Runners intro crash course, which is the first job the Gladers explain since most new guys aren't gonna be chosen for it. "You'll see it if you become a Runner." You nod again, as you've been doing a lot for the past few minutes. "Don't talk much, do you?" comments Minho, arms crossing over his chest as he looks at you appraisingly. "Minho," warns Newt. You blink at him, not really sure how to respond to that. "I-" "It's okay," interrupts Minho. "Just something to work on. Cause listen, Newt here can coddle you and the rest of the greenbeans all he wants, but the hard truth is that this ain't a place for some shank who isn't gonna speak up. We're a team, in the Glade. Everyone's part of the family. I just wanna clear this up now, let you know that if you don't open your mouth and use your voice, you're gonna have problems." "God- every shuckin' month," groans Newt, massaging his temples. "Now it's fine if you're just quiet," continues Minho, "But I just think it's best to know that you'll have a much better time here if you talk to people." Newt sighs. "Look, Minho's right, but you can take your time, okay? Settle in at your own rate." "Alright now, Greenie. Anything to say about the Runner's intro so far? Or just anything to say at all?" Fuck, okay. This is the start. Just say something funny, aim for levity. "Those drawings are shit," you say flatly, gesturing to the pencil sketches of the Maze you'd seen on the way in. Newt chokes. Minho blinks, before he bursts out in cackles. Oh, well that wasn't too hard. "You should really work on how the shadows turn out instead of just colouring it black," you continue, since insults are apparently the way to go. Minho starts wheezing, and you look to Newt expecting to see some amusement on his face, but he just looks shocked. "Those- those are my drawings," he manages to say. Your eyes widen, and your stomach drops. "Oh. Oh my god. Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I thought- oh my god." Minho's crying laughing by now, bending over and clutching his stomach. You jolt slightly as his hand lands on your shoulder. "Nevermind," he gasps out between snorts. "Forget what I said, you're gonna be fine here." You stare at Newt, mortified, but he just shakes his head, an amused expression forming on his face. "They are pretty shit, aren't they? It's alright, maybe you can replace them for us." Newt slings an arm around your shoulder as he leads you out of the hut. "C'mon, gardening intro's next. Minho, don't piss yourself," he adds, looking down with mock-disdain at his friend.

So... yeah. You guys pretty much just became friends after that

Except- okay, with Newt, you'd definitely developed a soft spot for him, and he seems to like you too, despite the way you insulted him pretty much to his face on your second day.

But with Minho, you've gotten the opposite of a soft spot for him

The two of you mainly thrive on mutual bitchiness, resulting in a friendship mainly consisting of eyerolls and snarky remarks

It works though, and you sit with him at every meal, always facing each other and playing some foot-kicking-game under the table, always with a straight face

He'll wait for you when his evening runs finish before dinner, and you'll wake up early to have breakfast with him and the Runners

He doesn't touch art himself, but he likes to sit with you and annoy you while you're meant to be having some peaceful time

To set the scene, it's usually Newt lying on his stomach watching as you sit in front your canvas (multiple pieces of paper stuck to a piece of wood), mixing paints, with Minho sitting beside you and making little comments

"Paint it yellow."

"That's the sky."

"It's sunny."

"The sky is still blue."

Idk I just think he'd make silly little comments for absolutely no reason

Also, you end up painting the sky yellow, and it fucking looks better

Frypan

After hearing from Newt that you liked art, Frypan started looking for materials for you, cause he always goes out of his way to make the Greenies as comfortable as possible

In his free time, he went out to crush up little plants and pigment rocks to experiment with mixing them with water and make paints and watercolours

Most people had decided that you seemed to just want to keep to yourself, including Frypan, but he saw you getting close and joking around with Newt and Minho, and knew that you would open up if only people gave you the chance

So he kept it slow, grinning at you when you go up for meals, until you started always smiling back at him, and you started hanging out on a regular basis

He's genuinely astounded by every piece of art you show him, whether it's a simple sketch of a random flower or a sunrise painting you'd spent days on (It's always "Shuck, Y/n. This is amazing!")

Gally

Gally is besties with Frypan (I will fight you on this)

So that's how you met him

He'd always be cool with you, just "sup, Greenie" every time you were both with Frypan at the same time

But then you started to build your own relationship with him too

You became friends when you started sketching architecture-y things for him, and he'd annotate little instructions on the drawings to hand out to the other builders

He's always just quietly impressed by your sketches, nodding and "thanks Greenie"

You actually become known as the 'art guy' around the Glade

The Medjacks will call you in to make pencil sketches of the plants and herbs for their little medicine book

You've always got Frypan's paint stained on your fingers, but it's a look

Thanks for reading <3

[missmungoe]

I couldn't help myself, so here's my take on the Elbaf scenes in 1076, featuring pirate!Makino. Follows a pirate's idea of peace.

This is what the kids call couple goals

“Kyaa! He’s so cute!!!”

“And so charming!!”

“And those cheeks!”

From his seat beside her, Shanks pouted, his eyes trained on the spectacle happening across the tavern. “That used to be me. And my cheeks.”

On the other side of the bar, their son’s shrieking giggles lifted over the din, hoisted in the air as he was passed between the giants who’d flocked around him. For his part, Ace seemed as unperturbed by the attention as he was by the giants, but then as in so many things, he was his father’s son; Makino knew of no one else who could become an attraction simply by setting foot somewhere.

Patting his back, warm through the fabric of his cloak, “I'm sure they haven’t forgotten you,” Makino said. “But you can't blame them, he is ridiculously cute.”

“That’s not the point! I used to be ridiculously cute!”

As though on cue, Ace made an adorable little coo, which had the whole tavern of hardened warriors erupting into a frenzy.

“You’re still popular, my love,” Makino said, with a nod at the boy seated by the bar, wearing a similar pout, his petition to join their crew rejected. “See? There's someone who still looks up to you!”

His shoulders sagging, “It’s not the same,” Shanks sighed.

“Give it up,” Ben said. “You’ve been replaced.”

“But it's too soon! I'm still in the prime of my life!"

Grinning around his toothpick, Ben looked like he was having the time of his life. Makino almost asked him to go easy on him, but given what he’d put up with for so many years, a little schadenfreude was probably warranted.

"It was bound to happen sooner or later," their first mate said. "Aren't you the one always going on about the new era overtaking the old?"

"First of all, so not the same," Shanks said. "And secondly, these cheeks can't be out of date, they're still firm! You could bounce a coin off this ass!"

"Don't," Makino said, when he turned towards her, his mouth already open, and when he pouted, spluttered, "I'm not bouncing a coin off it!"

"I think the barmaid would if you asked her," Yasopp said, a grin flashed at Makino that had her averting her gaze demurely, but then those shrewd eyes missed nothing, least of all the fact that in spite of their captain's griping, their son wasn't the only one drawing longing looks from across the tavern.

Shanks didn't seem to have noticed, and with a wolfish grin, told her, "There's only one barmaid I'd want to bounce a coin off my ass."

Her laughing sigh didn't succeed in being as suffering as she'd hoped, but then it was hard when he was beaming at her like that. "You say the most romantic things," Makino sighed.

Shanks just grinned, his look adoring, and she held her tongue from saying that if he kept looking at her like that, she might actually take him up on the coin thing.

Her gaze swept the crowded tavern, the rough wooden floorboards and the burning braziers warming the room, the cheerful din like any other bar they'd visited, and it might have fooled her into thinking it really was just any other bar if it hadn't been for certain noticeable differences.

Observing the enormous tankards and ceramic cups on the tables, not to mention the giant-sized plates and cutlery, Makino tried her best to look like a fabled island of giants had been what she’d expected when she’d gotten out of bed that morning, to the sound of their ship’s bell announcing the first sight of land. Shanks had already been up, their son on his hip where she'd found him at the helm, observing their approach, and that alone should have told her it wasn't just a normal island, but his smile hadn't surrendered anything as he'd kissed her good morning and told her to get ready to disembark.

And from afar, it had looked like any other island, and only when she'd asked where they were and Shanks had told her, breezily, "War-Land", had she realised something was up, although hadn't been given the chance to ask what that name suggested when a tuna the size of their ship had breached the surface right next to the hull, and she'd screamed so loudly she'd nearly sent Fen tumbling out of the crow's nest.

So yeah, the giants had been a surprise.

She jumped when a massive ceramic cup was dropped on the table before her, the mead within sloshing against the sides like waves in a pool.

“For the little Empress!” the giant whose name she'd learned was Brogy announced.

“Drink up!” his companion laughed, lifting his own cup in encouragement; Makino had learned his name was Dorry. “Knowing how you drink, Red-Hair, your wife must have quite the stomach herself, ge gya gya gya!”

Makino stared into the vat of mead. It could have fit her. “Er―”

“I’ll take that,” Shanks said, lifting the giant cup with ease, a grin flashed as he told her, “Since I’m drinking for two.”

She was about to point out that it wasn’t how it worked, when the two giants blinked, exchanging a look, before their eyes shot back down to her, and it took everything she had not to flinch, but then either one of them could have easily plucked her from her seat with a single hand.

Then, in booming timbres that shook the table where they were sitting: “Apologies, lady!”

“We didn’t realise you were with bairn!”

Their bellows had drawn the attention of the rest of the tavern, and holding up her hands, her laugh was predictably flustered, but then even terrifyingly big, their blustering personalities were hard not to like. “That’s alright,” Makino said, smoothing her fingers over the bump glimpsed between the gap in her cloak, the fire in the copper braziers dancing over the silver and the velvet. "But I hope you don't mind that I don't partake. The mead looks very―", she glanced at the giant cup again, and the daunting amount of mead, and was suddenly thankful her pregnancy had saved her from attempting to take a sip, when she doubted she would have been able to lift it, "―refreshing."

Grinning down at her, “I’m sure you’d show us your drinking prowess if you could!” Dorry declared with a booming laugh.

She caught Shanks’ smile, which knew full well she got tipsy after a single human-sized cup of sake, but, “Oh, you know it,” Makino said, with a laugh that sounded unconvincing even to her own ears, but the giants only looked delighted.

“Barmaid!” Brogy bellowed, and so forcefully she jumped. “Some meat for Red-Hair’s wife! An expectant mother must be kept well-fed at all times!”

“Aye!" Brogy agreed. "She’ll need it to birth a strong warrior!”

"To the little warrior maiden!"

Rousing hollers sounded from around the tavern as they all thrust their tankards and cups into the air, their crew included, whose beaming delight at her predicament hadn't escaped her.

For her own part, Makino tried her best to gracefully endure the attention, while also politely declining the continued offers of food, their table already filling up, with cuts of meat as big as she was, and pickled herring, and a bowl of stew so big she would have needed to climb it to see the top.

“Are you pleased?” she murmured, catching Shanks’ grin as more giants appeared to offer their congratulations, and their wishes for the child in her belly to grow big and strong, to which she was tempted to say that after her last birth, a twenty-hour pelvic nightmare, "big" was the opposite of what she was hoping for.

“For the delight showered upon my tiny warrior wife?” Shanks asked, nodding his thanks to the barmaid who appeared with another plate of food, even as he hadn’t taken his eyes off her. “It’s what she deserves.”

Makino huffed, but lowering her voice, murmured, “I think they’d be disappointed to learn the truth.” That unlike her husband, she didn't have the constitution to hold her own in a drinking match against humans, let alone giants, or that while she carried a sword, she'd just started learning. She wasn't a warrior. Not like the ones on this island, anyway.

“What truth?” Shanks asked, his head tilted to look at her. “She’s one of the strongest people I know. And if anyone knows the value of strength, it’s these guys.” Lifting the ceramic vat like it weighed nothing, he raised his voice to call across the tavern, “To my wife!”

The toast was returned with cheers so deafening it shook the foundation of the whole building, the sound like a battle-drum where it reached up through the bench where she was sitting to fill her chest, and despite her immediate instinct to retreat from the centre of attention, her smile was helpless, subjected to their rousing approval now.

Shanks just grinned, although his look was gentler, holding her eyes as he tipped the cup back.

The din from his toast was still settling, and observing the tavern, she felt a moment of displacement, the kind that had become increasingly common in her new life, as Makino wondered how she’d ended up here, on an island of giants with one of the most feared crews in the world.

Her eyes drifted in the direction of the bar, and the boy who’d so proudly proclaimed his desire to join them, the image resurfacing memories of her own bar, and another little boy pouting into his glass. And for a brief moment the wooden walls and furs and braziers were replaced with summer green paint and soft curtains, and her neatly stacked shelves, the glasses polished to gleaming. Even the barmaid behind the counter had changed, smaller now, her fair hair darker and drawn back by a kerchief, a shanty hummed on her breath as she polished the glass in her hand, stealing a glance across the crowded bar to the handsome captain at the nearby table.

She blinked, and Party’s was gone, the noise of the Elbaf tavern rushing back around her, and the giant barmaid polishing a glass behind the counter was the same as she had been, although her gaze remained fixed on their table, Makino saw; one of the few whose attention hadn’t been stolen by their son.

But in spite of his earlier dramatics, Shanks didn’t appear to notice, his eyes on her, but then even if she'd grown accustomed to the attention her husband compelled whenever they were in port, he never indulged it. And she knew he hadn’t missed where her thoughts had gone when he asked her gently, “Thinking about Party’s?”

Her smile gave her away, she knew, but, “I’m just not used to being on this side of the bar,” Makino said. But then, her voice lowered between them, "But I miss it sometimes."

His smile understood, but then he always did. “I miss flirting with the barmaid there,” Shanks said, a finger hooked under her chin to lift it, and her eyes where they'd lowered. “But now I get to flirt with my wife, so I’m not complaining.”

Despite several years of marriage, her reaction wasn't any smoother than when she'd been nineteen, and she couldn't help her flustered grin, or the gratifying little flip her stomach did, hearing the envious sighs from the women around them, and saw Shanks had caught it when his grin widened.

“Oh?” he purred, and gripped her chin before she could turn her face away to hide the evidence. “Is someone preening over being the captain’s girl?”

She huffed, puffing up her cheeks, although it was hard to look serious when he looked so delighted. And so instead she asked, prim, “And what if I am?”

His grin had forgotten all about his earlier dramatics, but his chuckle was softer as Shanks told her, “You know, this might actually make up for our son stealing my spotlight.”

Makino shook her head, although his gratification made it hard to keep a straight face, or to look directly at his, handsome in a way that never failed to steal her breath, and most of her thoughts, observing the chiselled angles of his jaw and the clear grey eyes, hooded under his scars, and the dark stubble of his beard ruggedly sweeping his cheeks. The silver scar on his lip, tugged by the roguish smile that stretched along his mouth, wide and made for smiling. Well; that, and other things.

But it wasn't about his looks, even if it was hard to explain the feeling, one she’d been intimately acquainted with ever since their very first meeting but that had only grown stronger since coming out to sea with him, and witnessing the way he was greeted wherever they docked; the kindness and grace he showed that was returned in equal measure. To be chosen by someone like him...

The lump in her throat made it hard to speak, but they'd never needed an excess of words to understand each other, even if it felt important to say this, and so, “I’m proud to be yours,” Makino said simply.

She’d caught him by surprise, she saw, and for all his confidence and years of being accustomed to the fawning attention of strangers, it was an uniquely gratifying feeling to be able to catch him off guard with her honesty. But then even confident, he’d never taken her feelings for granted.

Taking his hand to kiss his fingers, Makino felt how they shook. And if it was a claim, let them see it.

His eyes hadn’t left her, gentle under his scars, but then for all the adoration he garnered, he made no secret of where his own affections lay.

Of course, it wasn’t just his fawning supporters competing for pieces of him.

There was a commotion happening outside. Makino had been trying to ignore it, already suspecting what it heralded, although wasn’t given the chance to ask Shanks what he planned to do about it when Rockstar appeared in the doorway.

“Boss! That bastard’s actually attacking us!" He sounded genuinely offended on his captain's behalf, but then Makino had always liked that about him.

"So far they’ve just been scraping with our youngsters, but what do you want to do about him?" Rockstar continued, with a glance over his shoulder. "At this rate it’ll turn into a full-on battle soon!”

Her heart stuttered, but then unlike her husband's fan-club, this was something she had not gotten used to, the months she’d been at sea with them.

Shanks sighed, although took the news of an impending battle in characteristic stride. “I don’t know whether to call this good or bad timing. We were just about to head out. Mah, guess I lost track of time catching up with everyone,” he said, his hand falling from hers as he rose from his seat. “But it can’t be helped when you suddenly come across old friends who you thought were dead.”

Holding out his hand to her, Makino smiled as she placed her own into it, allowing him to draw her to her feet. And she knew what he was doing, but indulged him, feeling how her stomach fluttered, and when he lifted her hand to kiss her knuckles, heard the dreamy sighs from the surrounding crowd. Their attention had shifted away from their son now, but even flustered by the attention, Makino could only laugh, seeing the rakish grin stretching over her knuckles.

“Catering to your adoring fans, Emperor Red-Hair?” she murmured.

“Our adoring fans,” Shanks corrected, with a pointed look. “Or have you failed to notice that it’s not just our son who’s been causing a spectacle ever since we came ashore?”

A glance around the tavern room proved him right, noting their starry-eyed onlookers, although they appeared enthralled rather than envious, she saw.

"She's so beautiful!" someone whispered, to vocal agreement from the room.

"They look so good together!"

"The cloaks!!"

Her heart skipped, and looking up at Shanks found him smiling. And even if she wasn’t used to this kind of attention, Makino found she didn’t mind being in the spotlight all that much, if she could share it with him.

Their eyes held, the din of the tavern fading like the watchful gazes of the crowd, but then for a man who drew people around him like a magnet, he’d always had a way of making her feel like the only person in the room, a peace under that hooded look that made the rest of the world disappear, leaving only the two of them.

Releasing her hand, his fingers brushed the high collar of her cloak where it enclosed her neck, tracing the silver embroideries, before his smile warmed, his eyes lifting as his hand did, to the red scarf holding back her hair. But then while she'd adopted a pirate's lifestyle, sword and cloak included, she was still a barmaid, even if they called her something else now.

A crooked knuckle tipped her chin, his eyes curving with a look she knew intimately, and her breath hitched when his hand reached to cradle the back of her head, a display that was a little more public than she was usually comfortable with, but she wasn't thinking about their audience now.

And maybe she wasn't the only one staking a claim, and she felt the flutter in her chest as Shanks bent his head, his beard scuffing her cheeks with his smile, but just before their lips touched, a throat was cleared loudly.

"Um, Bosses?”

The voice dragged their eyes from each other to their crew, on their feet now and watching them, their arms crossed and their expressions somewhere between patient and shamelessly delighted.

“If you’re done inventing romance over there, there’s a battle going on,” Yasopp said. "Remember? Angry guy, missing arm, vowed revenge?"

“Oh, right,” Shanks said, with a bashful grin. “Should probably deal with him first.”

The little giant who’d asked to join their crew jumped from his seat, his eyes round with an awe that made Makino think of Luffy, and felt a pang of affection as he exclaimed, all wonder and no fear, “You’re going out there to fight, Shanks?”

Smiling, Shanks nodded, and when he spoke, it was to the whole tavern, the warm timbre of his voice lifting with an authority that seemed to come as naturally as breathing, and that could compel even a room full of giants into silence. “I’d never let this island become a war-zone.”

The barmaid cupped her cheeks, sighing wistfully, “He’s so dreamy!”

Makino only smiled, although watching him, privately agreed, but then she was right: he was dreamy.

“They won’t be happy you’ve kept them waiting,” Ben said, as they prepared to leave. He looked like he needed a smoke, and Makino felt a pang of sympathy, knowing she was the reason he'd quit, but the smile he slipped her left no room for guilt as he moved to stand beside her; his usual place, if he wasn't guarding his captain.

“Do you think Kidd will appreciate hearing that it was because Boss was too busy making googly-eyes at his wife?” Yasopp mused.

“I say we send Makino to deal with him,” Lucky Roo said. “That’ll teach him some manners!”

“Honestly, if anyone could teach that guy some manners, it would be you,” Shanks agreed.

“From what you told me, he’s probably right to be angry,” Makino said. “He did lose his arm.”

“So did I, but unlike someone, I handled my amputation with grace,” Shanks said.

"The first thing you lamented when you were lucid enough to speak was that you now had to use your non-dominant hand to get yourself off," Ben said, as Makino's cheeks flushed. She had, regrettably, been in the room at the time.

Shanks ignored him, turning to ask Rockstar to deliver a message to Captain Kidd: to leave his poneglyph rubbings and scram, or to risk fighting him. It was a more generous offer than any of the other Emperors would have given, at least barring one other.

Their crew had gathered around them, although she felt how her breath shivered, but then she’d only witnessed him dealing with enemies from afar. This time, they’d be sailing right into the breach.

She touched a trembling hand to Siren’s pommel, the sword’s presence at her waist another thing she hadn't yet gotten used to, and even then she'd only ever sparred with Shanks. She'd never used it against a real enemy, even to protect herself.

Shanks had noticed, his scars furrowed above his eyes, and looking towards their son, in Bonk Punch’s arms now, “I don’t want to cause any major trouble here,” he said.

A bit too late for that, my love, Makino wanted to say, but before she could, “Dorry, Brogy,” Shanks said, with a smile at her. “Mind helping me make sure my wife stays out of harm's way?”

The grins from the two giants might have sent her bolting in the opposite direction if Makino didn't know them, as with bellowing laughs, they agreed,

“Aye, brother! We’ll keep the little Empress safe!"

“Ge gya gya gya, and the littleuns!”

Smiling, Shanks took the lead, his cloak flaring as he turned for the door. Makino fell into step beside him, the rest of their crew and the giants following behind them as they made their way towards Red Force where it waited.

Outside, a crowd had gathered to observe their departure, only this time their attentions weren’t on the baby in Bonk Punch’s arms.

“Look at them!!”

“Make way, the chief and his wife are coming through!”

"What a power couple!!"

"We love you!!"

Their eyes met, and when she ducked her gaze, he grinned and kissed the top of her head, to the shrieking delight of the crowd.

They’d reached the water, and she could see the ships covering the horizon now. And these were different crews than the one she knew and loved, although they’d pledged their allegiance to her all the same. And even if she knew now what it meant to be Emperor of this sea, like the attention he compelled, her Emperor, it stole her breath, seeing with her own eyes the forces he commanded.

And that was something else she'd had to come to terms with. That however highly regarded he was, her husband had as many enemies as he had supporters, and that being his wife meant they were hers, too.

“You can stay behind if you’d rather,” Shanks said, his eyes lowering to hers, and she knew from the serious look in them that for all his outward ease, he wasn't taking their opponent lightly. “It would be safer ashore.”

His knuckles brushed her belly through her cloak, before he splayed his fingers over the bump, his bigger frame shielding her from their audience now, but then unlike his display in the tavern, this wasn't for the benefit of the crowd.

The broad spread of his fingers was warm through her shirt, but the child beneath his hand was quiet. And there was no judgement in that look, his eyes anchored in hers, although beneath the seriousness, Makino saw what he hadn't shown the crowd in the tavern. Not fear, never that, but the feeling still threatened to sweep her feet out: a protectiveness that carried the same promise he'd made their adversary, of just what he risked, facing him.

She felt a moment of hesitation, but then he had a point. This was Elbaf, the fabled island of warriors. Even without Dorry and Brogy, there’d be more than enough warriors to protect her if she stayed, and out at sea, there were a lot of things that could go wrong even without factoring in an all-out naval battle.

The memory found her, recalling the Admiral they'd encountered outside of Wano Country. The way his haki had singled her out, like she'd been marked, and that had confirmed, and more than any wanted poster or bounty ever could, just what she was now.

And if it had been her bar behind them, she would have stayed, Makino thought. She would have gone back to polishing her glasses, waiting for news of the battle, her lonely court held from behind the safe enclosure of the sturdy wooden counter. Her bar, and her shield that had always protected her from the wider world.

But it wasn't her bar, or even her island, and she knew where her place was now.

And where she felt safest, above anywhere else.

“No,” Makino said, and moving to stand on his left, wrapped her fingers around Siren’s pommel. “I'm right where I want to be.”

Then with a glance at the crowd behind them, she lifted her eyes to his, hooded under his scars as she said, “Besides, if we’re catering to the crowd, we should probably give them what they want.”

Shanks grinned, his cheeks lifting with boyish delight. “Battle couple?”

Her smile was her answer, and drawing her sword from its sheath, the steel-song stirred the air, her grip around the hilt still a little clumsy, used to glasses and dishrags, but the way he was looking at her, Makino thought she might have been a master in that moment.

And while she'd once thought that behind the counter of the bar was where she'd felt the most like herself, there was something to be said for this feeling, standing beside him, nothing but danger ahead, and yet she didn't feel afraid.

"So then, Captain," she said, with a glance towards the sea, and the new ship she could glimpse through the mist.

"Should we teach him some manners?"

[unggoydluffy]

extras + translation notes!

for this fanmanga translation!

part 1:

tl note - at some point, franky says its an honor to be a "god"father. pretty sure this is a reference to god usopp. im not exactly sure how lucy actually came to be, i just know vegapunk and devil fruits have something to do with it? and maybe law so id like to get that translated properly someday.

part 2:

ohara is an amusement park!

tl note - near the end, robin mentions luffys strength. i think shes commenting that luffys stupidity was his strength (because law mentions how he doesnt like that part of luffy, would rather not have it on lucy) but it she calls it straightforwardness

part 3:

they thought of maybe mirroring shanks and making him give something like the hat, but it was scrapped (made the comic too long and was mixed on what to give). i think the above panel is an upside down preview of the next part

part 4:

i think these are just their notes when they made the comic, feel free to go through the computer translation

you've probably realised it while reading, but the best friend zoro mentions on page 8 is kuina! it made me laugh

part 5:

part 6 + 6.5:

part 7:

they havent talked to zoro since the crew disbanded (!?) they think hes dead lol

tl note - the line sanji says to law near the end ("don't put too much on your plate") also translates as "Don't hold on to too many things". i think he's trying to say both.

part 8:

i think this is recounting how the strawhats pointed law to where the next strawhat is

part 8.5:

just some technical notes as always

part 9:

the route to cocoyashi village!

part 10:

thank you for reading! the author wanted to end it on lucys last line in part 9, but they had more ideas they wanted to draw which came through with part 10.

wipe your tears!

[x-heesy]

🆂🆆🅰🅶 🅰🆃🆃🅰🅲🅺

Yo... Eski-boy in the building

December madness

This ain't a fluke, this ain't a parody

I be in the hall of fame and art galleries

Vision in my head before Amy did Valerie

Gradually you felt like you knew me and added me

I am not a present, ain't nobody wrapping me

Shoulders ahead, many women they love tapping me

Chatting about how I come across unmannerly

Like I'm in a bike gang, Sons of Anarchy

Step on to the track, burn calories

Pekker got me on the higher salary

Heavier riddims, I got the clarity

Nobody pushed me, nobody carried me

Search for comparisons you're only gonna find similarity

I blaze weed, it controls my sanity

Without I couldn't defy gravity

I'd be a floater, and you'd be mad at me

I'm from the hood and I ain't new to tragedy

6 in the bloodclart morning, you follow me

I run bass, I'm the Bass Odyssey, of course you're dodging me

For me to act like I never knew you? It would be odd of me

It would be cold of me, it's the older me

In effect, directly from the L-O-N

East side tech, got bangers, got manors

But no respect for goal-hangers

Wiser the older I get

I said, nobody's fucking with the shower man flow

I said, nobody's fucking with the shower man, bro

You'd better know

Man can't handle these levels and I'm sorry bro, you gotta go

Draw from the pain that I had and the brain that I had

From the days when the money was low

Might sound crystal clear, we're like wolves

Walked in the dance, in the war you froze

My ability is a par, that's why I don't wanna use it

It's lary, start showing off with the music

Shows you, why I lived this why I do this

Shows you, if I'm complacent and abuse it

Got it installed in my skin, I was born to win

Maintain so I can't loose it

I don't know why you wanna question my flow in the game every day, man prove it

Popping, I got a vibe that's popping

Won't work blud if your vibe ain't popping

I've spent so many hours on the radio

Ask anybody car most of them locked in, popping

I get it done get it popping

Been here for years and the style ain't stopping

Got a whole back catalogue of songs, but it's a new day got a vibe what's popping

Don't get stuck, roll with the times

You're there in the past, we've grown with the times

Who do you know from the new generation?

No one, cus you don't roll with the times

I don't get blocked man roll with the lions

I will never get lost man go with the signs

When I was a kid I was in 9 mass lots

Friday night man might go to the chimes

If you hear me sound whack tell me I'll get my to bag to pack

I'll leave there and I'll never come back

I'm sure of myself

You're raw in a crew, but I'm raw by myself, I could tour by myself

If its shanks you're looking for turn back now bro

I'll bust a roundhouse kick like Shaodow

Straight in ya chest, hurling dub plates in ya chest

That flows without breaks, I'm the best

6 in the bloodclart morning, you follow me

I run bass, I'm the bass Odyssey, of course you're dodging me

For me to act like I never knew you? It would be odd of me

It would be cold of me, it's the older me

In effect, directly from the L-O-N

East side tech, got bangers, got manors

But no respect for goal-hangers

Wiser the older I get

And I think for myself, I was born on my own

I don't wanna false friend in my zone

Tell a brudda don't chat to man, it's alright

Stay on your side, don't wan' it with our side

Enough of them are too ropy

Can't cope with all the vultures

We don't want ya here you're like ulcers

We ain't vibing with you cause you're fake bro

When I speak it's truth we're like hey bruv

Let me move on step up the pace

I had to chill a bit when I got her wet in the face

Have you ever seen a devil when you step in the rave

Versace shades and screw face step in ya face

And say what

I'm too London I've realised

At 22 I was getting texts from XL and EMI

Looking like a walking pound sign

Bait as you like they saw my cold town side

Don't rub your wins in the face of the hood

The outcomes not gonna be good

I know the, real ones I don't wanna be shook

I had to, take time so the quality's good

And now I'm back in the mix back in the combo

Back with an umbrella back with a poncho

If you got a good vibe you can holler me

Six in the bloodclart morning you follow me

@ro3000 @2020blaq #bounza 🕺🏼☠️🕺🏼

6 In The Morning by Wiley